Locally, the race for Rothfus' seat is just one of the many that might lead to changes in 2018. In fact, the Pittsburgh region will see two special elections decided before November, thanks to two politicians vacating their seats. Here's Pittsburgh City Paper's guide to the political races to watch this year.

Then that summer, more than 200 residents of the Penn Plaza apartment complex in East Liberty were given eviction notices, and Pittsburgh's affordable-housing crisis took center stage. Much has happened since then, including continuing disputes around the Penn Plaza site and more legislative activityÃÂ ...

The plan also proposes that by 2030, City of Pittsburghgovernmental operations will run on 100 percent renewable electricity, with a vehicle fleet ... heavily on a handful of civic and business leaders, says Lindsay Baxter, program manager for energy and climate for the Pennsylvania Environmental CouncilÃÂ ...

Auditor-General Eugene DePasquale report finds Pittsburgh Zoo and others receive free water from struggling PWSA ... While the audit expresses concern with city government's influence on PWSA, it is my duty to protect this valuable city asset and the safe water owed to the people I represent as Mayor.

Capping decades of racially charged controversy over the 117-year-old bronze memorial to the famed songwriter, the city's Art Commission voted unanimously to remove it from public view and seek a new home where its 19th-century stylings might be given some context. CP file photo. After taking finalÃÂ ...

In April, Pittsburgh City Paper reported about a video showing Pittsburgh City Councilor Darlene Harris honking at a cyclist who was obeying all traffic laws and yelling at him to "get in the damn bike lane," when there was no bike lane to ride in. This video was from 2016, but the story ran when Harris wasÃÂ ...

When longtime Penn Plaza residents Myrtle Stern and Maybel Duffy were forced to vacate their East Liberty homes earlier this year, their options for replacement housing were limited. They need elevator access, as they are in their 70s and have trouble navigating stairs. "I have arthritis and a metal knee,"ÃÂ ...

In 2015, when Pittsburgh's Department of City Planning went out to count the number of cyclists on city roads, four Oakland intersections saw 124 cyclists pass by per ... Pittsburgh has installed bike lanes on these streets, including the city's first counter-flow bike lane on Forbes, adding another piece to theÃÂ ...

After 43 years, the Pennsylvania Department of Health's Bureau of Vital Records is about to move out of New Castle. Mayor Anthony Mastrangelo said he has received confirmation that the office and its 37 employees would be pulling out of the city and taking up residence in Neshannock Township.

The Pittsburgh region has another special election due for early 2018, and this one could have national implications. Conor Lamb, a Democrat from Mount Lebanon, will face Pennsylvania state Rep. Rick Saccone (R-Elizabeth) to fill the vacant seat in Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional district. The seatÃÂ ...

Then that summer, more than 200 residents of the Penn Plaza apartment complex in East Liberty were given eviction notices, and Pittsburgh's affordable-housing crisis took center stage. Much has happened since then, including continuing disputes around the Penn Plaza site and more legislative activityÃÂ ...

The plan also proposes that by 2030, City of Pittsburgh governmental operations will run on 100 percent renewable electricity, with a vehicle fleet ... heavily on a handful of civic and business leaders, says Lindsay Baxter, program manager for energy and climate for the Pennsylvania Environmental CouncilÃÂ ...

Tyler Titus won a seat on the Erie school Board, becoming the first openly transgender person to ever be elected in the state of Pennsylvania. A 33-year-old ... She's joining Palm Springs' city council which will become the first city government in the country where a majority of the members are LGBTQ.

Auditor-General Eugene DePasquale report finds Pittsburgh Zoo and others receive free water from struggling PWSA ... While the audit expresses concern with city government's influence on PWSA, it is my duty to protect this valuable city asset and the safe water owed to the people I represent as Mayor.

Capping decades of racially charged controversy over the 117-year-old bronze memorial to the famed songwriter, the city's Art Commission voted unanimously to remove it from public view and seek a new home where its 19th-century stylings might be given some context. CP file photo. After taking finalÃÂ ...

In April, Pittsburgh City Paper reported about a video showing Pittsburgh City Councilor Darlene Harris honking at a cyclist who was obeying all traffic laws and yelling at him to "get in the damn bike lane," when there was no bike lane to ride in. This video was from 2016, but the story ran when Harris wasÃÂ ...

When longtime Penn Plaza residents Myrtle Stern and Maybel Duffy were forced to vacate their East Liberty homes earlier this year, their options for replacement housing were limited. They need elevator access, as they are in their 70s and have trouble navigating stairs. "I have arthritis and a metal knee,"ÃÂ ...

In 2015, when Pittsburgh's Department of City Planning went out to count the number of cyclists on city roads, four Oakland intersections saw 124 cyclists pass by per ... Pittsburgh has installed bike lanes on these streets, including the city's first counter-flow bike lane on Forbes, adding another piece to theÃÂ ...

When Pittsburgh City Council convened a post-agenda meeting on July 18, councilors in attendance were given a sales pitch on why the best way to fill the city's affordable-housing trust fund is to take out a $100 million bond and pay it back by raising Pittsburgh's real-estate transfer tax by 1 percent.

The legislation would increase Pennsylvania's hourly wage from $7.25 to $12 in 2018, and then increase it each year until it reaches $15 in 2024. ... On Sunday, Pittsburgh City Councilor Darlene Harris posted pictures to her facebook page of her behind-the-scenes visit to the Shrine Circus. In one photoÃÂ ...

This isn't President Donald Trump, but John Di Mondi, a New Castle tax accountant and sitting councilman, whose brand of New Castle-first populism and ... Di Mondi sees protesters as "groupies" of Colonial school District and the current city government leadership, which he describes as a "swamp" tooÃÂ ...

Tertiary roads, especially in the Pennsylvania suburbs, are slick and barely passable due to icy snow, while primary and secondary roads throughout the ... In Delaware, the governor issued a Level 1 Driving Warning for New Castle County Tuesday, and authorized the Delaware National Guard to assistÃÂ ...

The issue stems from a parking complaint among neighbors in the William Penn Square neighborhood. Di Mondi said a white woman who lives in the predominantly black neighborhood has seen more than 100 police complaints stem from her property. He said the woman has been harassed by herÃÂ ...

A New Castle city councilman has been censured by the city government for "vulgar and racially charged language" used in an interaction with a constituent. ... William Penn resident Tim Couch, who is co-pastor of Unity Christian Church, said a phone conversation with Di Mondi later took a similar tone.

A resident of Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, Williams will move to Wilmington with Lisa, his ... The city auditing department plays an important role in exposing waste in city government. ... New Castle County's auditor is appointed.

City government / Community Action / Housing ... When longtime Penn Plaza residents Myrtle Stern and Maybel Duffy were forced to ... apartments, in Verona, Pa., which is more than an hour away from Penn Plaza via public transit. ... They claim Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto hasn't done enough for thoseÃÂ ...

The Pennsylvania minimum wage was last raised in 2009, but at $7.25, ... On Sunday, Pittsburgh City Councilor Darlene Harris posted pictures to .... Meanwhile, Pa. .... The commission would also work with city government to educate ... He says if he is forced to move to a place like Penn Hills, his access toÃÂ ...

Tertiary roads, especially in the Pennsylvania suburbs, are slick and ... issued a Level 1 Driving Warning for New Castle County Tuesday, ... City government offices opened at 10 a.m. Many Free Library branches are closed.

For the past several years Pittsburgh and other Municipalities around ... The legislation would increase Pennsylvania's hourly wage from $7.25 to .... Meanwhile, Pa. .... The commission would also work with city government to educate ... He says if he is forced to move to a place like Penn Hills, his access toÃÂ ...